Key Concepts Key Concepts♦ Great teachers focus on expectations; moderately effective teachers focus on rules; the least effective teachers focus on the consequences of breaking the rules.
♦ Great teachers establish clear expectations at the outset of the school year and follow them firmly, fairly, and consistently throughout the year.
♦ Rules have drawbacks, including the fact that they focus on undesirable behaviors. Expectations focus on desirable behaviors.
♦ Teachers may have varying expectations, but all great teachers set expectations that are clearly established, focused on the future, and consistently reinforced.
Discussion Questions1. What is the most important idea communicated in this chapter regarding teacher expectations?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of spelling out specific consequences for breaking rules?
3. What is, at times, a more powerful deterrent to misbehavior than a list of predetermined rules and consequences?
4. Why is it vitally important that teachers establish clear expectations at the beginning of the school year?
5. In addition to setting clear expectations for students each year, for whom else do great teachers set expectations each new school year?
Journal PromptTake a moment to consider what is vitally important to you as a teacher in terms of managing your classroom and setting expectations so that your students learn and behave to the best of their ability and to your level of expectation. Decide on no more than three to five items and state these as expectations for students. Brainstorm in writing how you can communicate these expectations clearly, how you can ensure that they are consistently reinforced, and how you will respond when students fail to meet them.
Group ActivitiesOn page 14 of the text, a scenario is described whereby the school principal only adds to the “problem” of thumping by announcing an edict regarding such behavior during the middle of an instructional period. In groups of five to seven, have participants come up with other ways in which teachers actually create additional misbehavior by focusing on currently occurring misbehaviors. Each group should act out its classroom scenario for the entire group. After each group presents, have them discuss ways in which the misbehavior could have been handled differently.
Have three large pieces of chart paper posted around the room labeled “Expectations,” “Rules,” and “Consequences.” Have participants work in pairs to brainstorm as many examples as possible for each category. Allow time for each pair to share their lists with the entire group. Ask one member of the group to record each response on the appropriate chart, listing each item only once, but placing a sticker next to an item each time it is repeated. After all responses have been recorded, take time to note which list is the largest and which is the smallest. What does this suggest? Are any “rules” listed that a school can live without or that can be restated as expectations? Are there any “consequences” listed that seem unnecessary or are there other, less punitive options that have not been included as a consequence? Are all items listed as “expectations” truly expectations or did some “rules” sneak onto this list? Remember that the order of emphasis when ranking these three items should be expectations, rules, consequences.
ApplicationVisit three to five classrooms at different grade levels throughout your school. Take note of any classroom rules, guidelines, expectations, and consequences that are posted in the room. Analyze what you find in light of the information presented in Chapter 3. Are your findings consistent with the principles presented or are most classrooms focusing on rules and consequences for violating rules? Be prepared to share your findings at the next session.